There are many different reasons to use family mediation. Before getting into that it is a good idea to know a little more about what mediation is first. Family mediators are unbiased third parties who are trained to help with negotiating conflicts with families, or really any group of people who are in conflict. While they charge for these services, in many cases, they are minimal compared to lawyer’s fees. Also, lawyers are not always after what is best for the parties involved, and they really don’t care about a person’s feelings when it comes to winning a case.

Families can be in turmoil for a number of different reasons. For an example, sometimes, really more often than not, people get into conflict over what to do about their aging parents. While their parents may want to stay in their home, the kids realize that they are getting to old to live in a private residence by themselves. On one hand, one adult child may want to have them put into a care facility, while another sibling may not want that, but can’t allow them to live with them. Or, while the children feel that it is time for their parents to be put into the care of professionals, the parents, being independent, don’t want this.

Because of these conflicts, some families start to unravel. Resentments develop, and eventually it ends up in a big fat court battle, where at least one party walks away hating the other. This is where family mediation comes in. After reviewing the case, these mediators come up with options that can be beneficial. They sit down with the family, and act as a unbiased go between. They let each family member express their concerns, but they also make sure that feelings and emotions don’t get out of hand either. If the situations starts becoming to intense, they try to keep everyone calm.

This doesn’t mean mediators are uncaring, but they themselves have to keep their own feelings and emotions in check. In many cases, these mediators may have some kind of similar experiences in their own lives, and they can relate to what is going on. While not all conflicts may be resolved through a mediator, more often than not both parties walk away from the table in agreement. It could mean that instead of the parents being sent off to a care facility, in home care is provided, with the costs being split between insurance, and then equally among the adult children.

While there are many different mediation services, if you have a family conflict you want to find one that deals with these cases. You also want to find a service that has a history of resolving conflicts, and plenty of experience. Depending on your financial situation, you also need to find a service that will work with you on payments. Another factor to consider is how fast they resolve these issues, because the whole idea is to get the situation resolved in a timely manner.

Whether it is a family conflict, divorce, or business problems, if you need help and are considering going through the court system, save yourself some time and money. Using family mediation is a more healthy, as well as cheaper alternative. In many problems emotions often run so strongly, that people start to have tunnel vision, and they need an outside person to help offer solutions that the parties may not have thought of, or didn’t want to take into consideration before now.

The most popular ebook formats used on the Internet are the Portable Document Format, better known as PDF, and the Hypertext Markup Language, better known as HTML.

Although both formats are highly popular, you must look at the entire picture prior to making your decision, as there are pros and cons associated with each format.

Portable Document Format (PDF)

Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) is a universal format that will preserve all of your original formatting. Not only will it maintain your specified layout, but it will also preserve your fonts, images and links — regardless of what application was used to create it. This will enable your ebook to look exactly as you had intended.

PDF files are very compact in size and are actually smaller than their original source files. They can be easily published and distributed in a number of ways:

o In print

o Email attachments

o Internet download

o Web sites

o CD-ROM

Advantages:

o Anyone, anywhere can open your document regardless of what browser they’re using or what operating system.

o PDF is the preferred format of most publishing sites.

o PDF always prints correctly with any printing device.

In addition to the above advantages, using the Adobe Acrobat 5.0 software, documents can be viewed across multiple media. For example, tagged PDF preserves a document’s structure so that it can be viewed on Palm OS® devices as well as on the web. Tagged PDF files also contain information in regard to the content and structure, which makes them accessible to visually impaired readers — with the assistance of screen readers.

Disadvantages:

o A bit limiting on creativity.

o Software is rather expensive at $249.00.

o Users must have the free Acrobat Reader installed on their computer.

Compilers:

Adobe Acrobat 5.0 (Highly Recommended)

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/main.html

This powerful program provides Internet users with the ability to create and distribute ebooks that are viewable by everyone, regardless of what browser or operating system. Your documents will be beautifully preserved in their original layout and will appear exactly as you had intended. With the release of Acrobat 5.0, users not only have increased document security, but they also have the ability to create documents that can be easily viewed by the visually impaired and on Palm OS® devices. In addition, Acrobat compliments Microsoft Word, as it adds a toolbar shortcut directly to the program. Simply open your document in Microsoft Word, click on the Acrobat button, and your Word document will be automatically converted into a PDF document for distribution.

The MLA format machine is an electronic device that helps students format their sources according to the standards and guidelines of the Modern Language Association (MLA). The format machine works when a student types in the information the site requires for the source. After the student goes on the Internet, types in the information, and clicks enter, the format machine “spits out” the proper citation of any source.

One benefit of the MLA format machine is that it helps students train themselves to properly format sources in MLA style. Students can save time and money by staying in their rooms and running their sources through an Internet page, instead of going to visit a writing center or a writing tutor. The machine saves students a lot of money that can go to other educational expenses instead of hiring a writing tutor who (with the exception of friends, relatives, and university staff) will charge students a significant sum. Next, the machine for MLA format makes referencing citations more convenient and easy. Students no longer have to look in the MLA citation handbook, examine how a citation should be written, and then duplicate it. Now, students only need to type in source information, click a button, and have the Internet page provide the exact citation.

Students no longer have to say, “I am struggling with referencing sources” if a computer now performs the hard work. In addition, the MLA format machine also makes referencing Internet sources easy. It is often a complex thing to cite a website or web page, particularly if there is no creation date to the page or there is other missing information for a proper bibliographic entry. Now, students can allow the Internet machine to dictate how to cite the source. This will save the student time and energy deciding how to classify the web source, and what to do about the missing information. The student can appeal to the format machine as an authoritative source on citations should he or she find themselves in a bind because of a bibliographic entry.

The MLA format machine is designed to correct reference issues of all sorts, including electronic references. However, the format machine has done more than correct reference issues; it has also made research time more productive for students, increased research independence (from professors and other classmates), and increased the accuracy of source information. Doing research will never be the same again.

A bibliography in MLA format is a list of sources at the end of the research paper that are placed in MLA (Modern Language Association) format. Since the MLA format is designed for research papers that are centered on liberal arts and humanities studies, bibliographies are very likely to contain sources that lie within these disciplines. A bibliography in MLA format has quite a few ways to document sources, depending on the nature of the source. If one is using an Internet source in a bibliography, he or she should put the author’s last name first, a comma, and then the first name. Next, place the title of the Internet page and the website title, followed by the publication date, publishing company, the date in which the page is accessed.

When formatting the bibliography for an online magazine or periodical, one should perform the following: write the author’s last name and first name, followed by the periodical title, publication date, database title, Internet page access date, and the Internet database address. If one is formatting the bibliography for a single author, he or she should write the author’s last name and first name, followed by the publication city, publisher, and year. If a book has two authors, one should write the first author’s as required; as for the second, one would turn the author’s name around and write the author’s first name, then last name. The bibliography in MLA format will have different informational arrangements of source references according to the nature of the source used.

Bibliography in MLA Format: The Benefits of Bibliographical Research

A benefit of having an MLA-formatted bibliography is that one can know what sources are in a paper as well as what sources were consulted for research. Due to MLA’s easy reading style, anyone can find a source they need for a research paper within a minute’s time of picking up a research paper and investigating the paper’s bibliography. A writer need not consult numerous footnotes or endnotes to find a book or journal article. Another benefit to having a bibliography in MLA format is that one can save himself or herself from creating more tedious labor. A bibliography’s forte lies in the amount of work it offers. Unlike Works Cited pages, which only cite the books that are used in the research (and create a Works Consulted page for non-cited sources), bibliographies contain both cited and consulted sources. The MLA bibliography not only looks good but is greatly organized. Organization always saves time.

In part 2 of this series, we focused on ebooks formatted in PDF. We will now continue with HTML compiled ebooks.

Hypertext Markup Language Format (HTML)

Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) formatted ebooks are simply a group of web pages compressed into one .exe file for distribution. HTML ebooks are completely interactive with the Internet and can be as simple or dynamic as you’d like. Your HTML files can contain live links, graphics, forms, JavaScript, embedded video, and more. You can easily create a dynamic presentation utilizing the latest technology.

Ebooks formatted in HTML are basically designed just like website. They can contain an unlimited number of pages that are navigated via hyperlinks. Unlike ebooks formatted in PDF, the design of an HTML ebook is only limited by your imagination.

Depending upon the type of HTML compiler you purchase, HTML formatted ebooks can have customizable fields that will enable your users to customize fields you specify. This technology can enable you to provide your affiliates with an ebook they can use as a sales tool to sell your products and services. Your affiliates can have the ability to customize your ebook with their affiliate ID and earn commissions simply by giving the ebook away.

HTML files can be distributed in the following ways:

– Internet download

– CD-ROM

Advantages:

– Complete control over your ebook’s look and feel.

– Completely interactive with the Internet.

– Software very reasonably priced starting at $30.00

– Most compilation software is easy to use.

– A wide variety of ebook compilers to choose from.

Disadvantages:

– Users must have the ability to run “Windows” programs.

– Users must have Internet Explorer 4.0+ installed on their
computer.

Compilers:

E-ditor (Recommended)

This is a nice ebook compiler that includes a step by step interface that will guide you through the entire process. Unlike other programs, this compiler comes with five “skins” to enable your ebooks to have a unique look. It also includes a pop-up message box that loads prior to your ebook loading when your ebook is launched. This box can contain system requirements, copyrights or whatever text you’d like.

Cost: $97.00

eBook Edit Pro (Highly Recommended)

This is a great ebook compiler. Not only is it easy to use, but it also includes a pop-up message box that loads prior to your ebook loading. In addition, you can display your own product icon and select the buttons you would like to be displayed such as, navigational, print and home buttons. It also has an added feature that enables you to include an affiliate ID within every ebook you create and make money for referral sales. As an added bonus for purchasing this great compiler, you will also receive an “eBrand-It” software that will enable you to set up special fields so that your affiliates can customize your ebook. A free demo is available. This is a great compile.

Cost: $87.50

Activ E-book (Recommended)

This program isn’t as easy as E-ditor Pro or eBook Edit Pro, but with the aid of the instructions you can easily create a nice ebook. The great thing about this compiler is that it assigns an ESBN number to each ebook you compile. In addition, this great compiler will also enable you to create a “Rebranding” software. This additional software can be used to enable your users to modify parts of the ebook that you specify without recompiling. It also has a free demo that is fully functional for up to 10 files to be compiled (including graphics). You can create and distribute ebooks with the free demo, but you must register the software if you’d like to sell your ebooks.

Cost: $29.95

As you can see, both ebook formats have a number of advantages and disadvantages and the decision may be a little difficult.

The best ebook format for your project will really depend upon your own preference. However, it is also important to take into consideration the type of ebook you’re creating and the number of pages it will contain. For example, if you’ve written a manuscript with hundreds of pages and have it typed into your word processing program, you won’t want to waste your time creating an HTML page for each page of your ebook. Your best option will be to purchase Adobe Acrobat and compile your ebook into the PDF format. HTML compiled ebooks are better for smaller projects such as “how-to”, “instructional” or “informational” ebooks.

Another consideration of great importance is your sales plan. If you’re planning on marketing your ebook yourself, then it really doesn’t matter which format you use. However, if you’re planning on selling your ebook on one of the ebook publishing sites, many of them will only accept ebooks in the PDF format.

Identifying and converting digital video file formats can be confusing and frustrating because of the large number of file types used in the industry and the strange names used to identify them. Here is an easy-to-use guide to help you deal with the 40 or so types of formats that today’s digital videos can be saved in.

It’s not widely known, but digital video files actually have two layers. The outer layer is called the container. The container is also called a “wrapper,” because it wraps together all the different subfiles that work together as a video. The inner layer of subfiles is called the codec. Codecs usually consist of a video file plus an audio file. When you play back the video on your computer, personal music player, cell phone, or DVD player, the codec files work together inside the container to give you a seamless viewing experience.

The names of the five most common container formats are probably familiar to you. They are AVI, MPEG-4, ASF (which is actually WMV), Flash, QuickTime, and 3GPP. There are many more obscure container types, but most of the time you’ll be dealing with one of the “Big 5.”

Usually, you only need to know what type of container file your video is stored in to tell you whether you can play it on your playback device. Occasionally, however, one of the codec files inside the container will be written in a format that your player software doesn’t recognize. When this happens, your playback device will reject the video file even though it is supposed to play that type of file. If you run into this problem a lot, your best bet is to purchase video converter software that supports the highest number of container and codec types you can find, and use it to convert the files into a format that your player recognizes.

Here is a look at the “Big 5” container formats and their pros and cons:

* AVI – These files have the.avi extension. AVI is a very common format in video cameras, particularly inexpensive models such as the Flip. AVI works acceptably well for playing back on a personal computer because it’s widely used, so most playback programs support it. AVI’s biggest problems are needing a large file size to maintain quality, and wild variations in the codec formats inside the AVI container. It’s very common for a player to reject an AVI file, even though it’s supposed to play AVI files, because one of the codec files inside the AVI container is written in a code that the player doesn’t recognize.

* MPEG-4 – These files have the.mpg or.mp4 extension. There are many types of MPEG files, but MPEG-4 is the most common. MPEG-4 is the best format for playing back files on a personal computer because it’s such a common format and is supported by virtually all playback software programs. Although the quality is similar to that of AVI, the file size is much smaller than an AVI file. Codec problems are must less common in MPEG files than AVI files. MPEG is the closest thing to a universal video format on the market today.

* ASF (WMV) – ASF files have the.wmv extension, and are more commonly known as WMV files, even though WMV is actually a codec name, not a container name. WMV stands for Windows Media Video and is a proprietary file format owned by Microsoft. This means you will either need Windows Media Player installed on your computer, or you will need to convert the WMV file into a format that your player recognizes. Windows Media Player is available for Windows or Mac free of charge. ASF/WMV files are suitable for computer playback or for uploading to the internet.

* Flash – These files have the.flv extension and are used almost exclusively for uploading to the internet. If you’ve ever watched a YouTube video, you’ve seen Flash video in action. The file size is tiny, it streams over the internet into your browser quickly, and the quality is usually poor. The playback software for Flash is a proprietary program by Adobe that comes pre-installed on most browsers like Internet Explorer and Firefox. Codec problems can occur with Flash, but they are usually easy to fix by updating your browser to the latest version.

* QuickTime – These files have the.mov extension. They require the proprietary QuickTime player software developed by Apple, which is available for both Mac and Windows free of charge. The MPEG-4 container is a non-proprietary version of the QuickTime container, so if a codec works in MPEG-4, it generally will work in QuickTime too. QuickTime is a virtually trouble-free video format that works well for playback on your computer or streaming over the internet.

* 3GPP – These files have the.3gp extension and are formatted exclusively for playback on a handheld device like a cell phone, smart phone, or personal desk assistant. 3GPP works great when recorded on a handheld device and then played back. The video quality will vary depending on the quality of the device that recorded it, and can range from poor to excellent, similar to the differences in photos taken with cell phone cameras. QuickTime will play back 3GPP files on a computer, but very few other player programs will handle 3GPP files. Conversion software is usually needed to transfer videos between a computer and a handheld device in a playable format.

Dustin H. Pitcher is a freelance writer, technology specialist, and graphic designer with ten years of experience in print and multimedia. Visit his blog and learn more about the AVS4you Video Converter [http://backupandrestoreyourdata.com/avs-video-converter-free-download/].

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Computer graphics can add life to any project but using the wrong format can mean that you could end up with a poor quality image or large file. Computer store images in different ways, as a bitmap where image information are stored in pixels or as a vector format where image information is stored in the form complex mathematical formula.

So let’s first look at pixel format, a picture in this format can be broken down into thousands of tiny blocks called pixel. Each pixel stores information like color and brightness, when you open a image file thousands of these pixel align themselves to give you the final picture. Most common pixel formats are JPG, GIF, BMP, TIFF etc.

In pixel formats, if you want a highly detailed image which directly increases the image file size – also when you zoom into pixel graphics you will notice jagged edges(pixels) which affects the appearance of the image.

Vector graphics on the other hand do not face these issues. In a vector format, an image is created mathematically by describing the position, length, direction and color of all lines, which collectively form the final image. The advantage of vector graphics is that it offers superior image quality. some of the popular vector formats in CDR (CorelDraw), AI (Adobe Illustrator), WMF (Windows Meta File) etc. One of the biggest drawbacks of vector images is that they are not photo realistic, pixel format are preferred for phot realistic images.

Color depth of an image determines quality and richness of the image. Color depth are coded at 8-bit (256 colors), 16-bit (65,536 colors) and 24-bit (16.7 million colors). 24 bit images offer true to life quality on the images as it supports and displays millions of colors. Athough would need a good graphics card to view at 24-bit which most computers today are easily able to display.

What are web safe colors? In simple terms, a web safe color can defined as a color that appears the same in all web browsers on both Windows and Mac computers. In HTML, colors are expressed either as hexadecimal values (for example, #FF0000) or as name of color (red,green,blue etc). During advent of Internet – computers and web browsers would display in 8-bit mode (256 colors supported) , but today all computers are able to display at 16-bit or 32-bit colors which is millions of colors. It is not critical anymore to use a browser safe color palette especially if you are targeted today’s computers as your audience. However do not forget that there are other ways to access internet through devices such as PDA’s and Cellphones which still continue to display at 8-bit mode.

So if you have a website or plan on a website where appearance of colors are critical you should play safe by using web safe color palette – there are 216 common colors that are web safe.

MLA format for Internet sources is a result of the technological advancement of our world. Gone are the days when only books, periodicals, and journals are an authority in the academic world. In many cases, they are still considered non-academic, but, due to the Internet craze, even journals, newspapers, and books have gone electronic. This technological advancement and electronic transformation of authoritative, academic sources has led to change in MLA formatting. Now, even electronic sources have their own standard look in each of the various formats in existence. MLA is one of the introductory formats to academic research.

Some of the formatting issues with electronic sources are 1) citing URLS, 2) citing dates for web pages, and 3) citing online interview transcripts, e-mails, and other online posts. When providing and citing URLS, MLA format for Internet sources requires that the URL have lowercase letters and enclosure with angle brackets (< >). Next, citing web pages in academic research is somewhat different from citing words from a textbook page. Whereas it is perfectly normal to cite only one date for a textbook (publication date), web pages require two dates: one date for the creation of the page (when it was created), the other for the access date (when the person viewed the page). This also holds true for online interview transcripts. Emails are somewhat different. If a person cites something from an email, he or she must note the person who sent the email, the title of the email (including whether or not the email was a reply to a former one), “Email sent to” (the email recipient), as well as the sending date. Online posts work like web pages: they require the date the post was created as well as the date the individual accesses the post. While the Internet has increased accessibility to authoritative sources, it has also complicated the matter. Now, books that have no paperback or hardback origin are cited as authoritatively as any paperback or hardback source. Times have indeed changed.

What Are the Benefits of MLA Format for Internet Sources?

One benefit of MLA format for Internet sources is that citing electronic sources is made easy. There is a lot of material on the World Wide Web, and each distinct web source has its own original citation. The numerous citation forms for electronic sources mandate a standard Internet text to appeal to when using these sources. Another benefit of MLA format for Internet sources is that it allows electronic sources such as emails and posts to be cited as much as journal articles and textbooks. Prior to the creation of an electronic source format, emails and posts did not receive citation authority in research of any kind. Even if an email or post pertained to a specific research topic, it could not be used in formal writing (because there was no standard way established to cite Internet sources). The smoke surrounding emails and posts has been removed; today, any source on the Internet can be cited as long as it pertains to the research topic and has worthwhile contribution to academia.

MLA format for Internet sources has revolutionized the concept of authoritative sourcing in academic research. MLA format here is at its best, as it is flexible and able to handle even technological breakthroughs.

The best form to deliver their Informational Product, i.e. PDF or EXE format, confronts every Internet Author who wants to write their ebook. What do your readers want?

The trend currently is PDF and this is why. Ebooks written and compiled in the EXE format didn’t work after Microsoft introduced Service Pack II. Many of the programs that deliver EXE format are based upon having Internet Explorer modules that no longer work correctly due to the Service Pack II. This requires a patch to open the file for your customer. What a pain. It makes your end products value perceived as less than adequate if you must include a patch along with your Informational Product.

Secondly, most of the EXE compilers are just so hard to use that writers simply resort to the PDF format to deliver their end product. Writers are concerned with getting their message out, as fast as possible and with ease thus the PDF format becomes the standard to deliver Informational Products.

Customers prefer PDF over EXE almost 75% of the time and there is a reason for this. When given a choice, they trust the PDF format over EXE because of the SP2 issue. When the information they paid for or obtained free didn’t open or could not be viewed that format just isn’t something they will willingly download again. Would you if the format didn’t work? You would look for the Information Product that did work so you can have the information you wanted.

Which format works best depends upon what material you are presenting. If you write and add a few graphics or photos PDF may work best. If you are showing and telling your may choose the EXE format. Offering both formats most likely is the best way to satisfy your customers’ needs. In a poll of the Internet Warrior Forum (warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=73412) this topic was very informative. It seems there is quite a difference of opinions between the kind of form favored, and both produce profits for the writers. Still the reader is the determining factor. What do they want? When it is reported the 75% want their information in the PDF format it tells you something about how you will market your Informational Product.

Don’t rule out the EXE format so quickly. There are many aspects of your delivery that are more suited for this format than can be delivered with the PDF. Today most of the programs offering your Informational Product in the EXE format have updated to get around the SP2 problem. It now is a perceived issue with your customer easily explained. Tell them it is in the EXE format and that they will be viewing the information without the problems of the past. You can include the why you are delivering your message in this format by simply telling them you will be showing them and telling them in ways PDF can’t.

Ideally an Internet Author writes words just like anyone who writes a book. Your words are all that is necessary to convey your message. Is this what people online are looking for? Or could they get the same information at their local bookstore? In order to have your writing purchased you need to have a format that will over-deliver to your customer in a way that will not only satisfy them, but also WOW them. Recall that instant satisfaction is what people are looking for online. Can you provide them with instant satisfaction and still get your message across?

Delivering your message either as a free download or to be purchased is of great importance. Delivering it in the right format is also of great importance to your reader. If you were writing about golf and describing how to be a better putter, would just words be enough? Not hardly. You would want to include photos showing your reader exactly how to putt. It would even be better if you could show them a video, so your delivery method can get your point across even better. The old expression “A picture is worth a thousand words” comes to mind. Maybe a video is worth ten thousands. Deciding which format, PDF or EXE, would best produce your message then becomes very important to show them.

Perhaps this is why so many Informational Products on CD’s and DVD’s are coming out. These are the big ticket items that show and tell along with the written word. They are all interactive and all contained. Nothing has to be linked to a web site or use other resources online. A simple click of the mouse and watch the video and right back to the text. The reader doesn’t have to wait for the connection to a web site or wait for the file to load and run. It’s done instantly.

Most Internet authors do not have the means to produce CD’s or DVD’s. It requires a staff or the expertise to develop these Informational Products let alone the funds. Secondly they cannot be digitally delivered, which is a requirement for those people who want their information instantly.

Your informational material then dictates the delivery means. Use PDF when you are writing just words with a few pictures or graphics. Use EXE when you need to show and tell to get your message across to your customer. If and when it is possible, give your customer the choice of either.

In either case, writers want and need a program that is easy to use. This is why PDF has taken off in the last few years. There are many low cost programs that convert word processing files into PDF files. There are many programs or add-ons that help in putting video and audio into PDF files as well. This means there is a two-step process to producing your Informational Product, you write it adding the features you deem necessary to get your message across, and you convert it to a PDF format.

The EXE normally takes more steps to complete the final product. You write it, you convert it to HTML format, and you compile it with your program of choice. The hardest part is the conversion from HTML to the compiled format. For many it is just too much work and the learning process can take longer than the writing. It is easy to understand why the PDF becomes the favorite for the Informational Producer.

Doing your writing in both formats to give your customer their choice isn’t easy either. It is double the work. Too bad there isn’t a way to do both at the same time, or is there? That was one of the comments on the thread in the Warrior’s Forum that was repeated. Given the knowledge that PDF is chosen 75% of the time because of the perceived value, mostly due to the SP2 issue, the buyer’s choice is obvious. Or is it? Is it a choice of the producer? In most cases it is the producer, author, writer that make the choice of the format they use to offer their Informational Product. Face it, when it is easy to use PDF over EXE, what choice would you make?

Can you give them both? Can you offer them your material in EXE form that will give them more value than what you can give them in PDF form or the same value in either form? Yes you can deliver your Informational Products today in either format and have both a multimedia experience for your customers.

Embedding files in audio and video can be done in either format. This feature is soon to be taken away after Microsoft lost yet another court battle. The embedding feature is part of the browser in IE. That feature will no longer be available to unlock your files to automatically run. Maybe you didn’t know about this little problem that can result in the failure of every ebook produced prior to 2005, being disabled just like what happened with the SP2 issue, only far worse. Even Web pages will not function properly unless they are changed from auto to having the viewer actually click on the audio or video to have it open. Do a search for microsoft+lawsuit+flash+embedded in your favorite search engine and see if this will affect you.

It all gets back to what format sells the best or what the Informational Producer believes will sell the best even if it is a give away viral product. Is there is a way to give your readers both options at the click of a button? You just might find out you have the power to deliver your informational products giving your readers a multimedia experience or just a simple written book simply and easily as using your word processor. See the bio for the free no obligation information. It just may give you the advantage of using both PDF and EXE in all your publications.

Graphic design is an intimidating subject for many Internet entrepreneurs. However, most of us must learn some basic design techniques in order to avoid the high costs of hiring a professional designer.

In order to create or edit your graphics, you’ll need to invest in a good graphics-editing program. The most popular program used by Internet marketers is Paint Shop Pro. This powerful program is the only program you’ll need to design professional looking graphics. You can download a free 30-day trial and register the software for only $99. [http://www.jasc.com/]

Image Formats

The most popular image formats used on the Internet are GIF and JPEG.

Graphic Interchange Format, better known as GIF, uses a maximum of 256 colors and is best suited for images such as logos, buttons and bullets.

GIF images can be saved in two different formats:

– 87

– 89a

The 89a format is the preferred GIF format, as it has the following benefits:

Transparency

Images saved in the 89a GIF format can have a transparent background. This will enable the canvas of an image to be transparent and enable the background to show through.

Interlacing

Images saved in the 89a GIF format can be saved as interlaced. This will enable your image to display as it is being loaded into a web page. The image will gradually become clearer as the page loads.

Animation

Images saved in the 89a GIF format can be used to create animated images. Animated images are simply several GIF images compiled into one GIF image file that loops. In order to create an animated image, you’ll need a special editing program.

Joint Photographic Expert Group, better known as JPEG, is the best format for photographs. JPEG images can contain millions of colors and allow you to specify the degree of compression.

Although there are many graphics programs available on the Internet, this tutorial will focus on using Paint Shop Pro 7.01. If you are using a different version of Paint Shop Pro or another graphics program, the graphic tools mentioned below will not be located in the same places.

Editing Images

When working with images in Paint Shop Pro, you will have the ability to save your image in PSP format. This format will enable you to begin working on an image, save it in PSP format and finish the image at a later time. It will preserve all of your work without any changes.

If you would like to edit an image that has been previously saved in the GIF format, you must first increase the image’s colors to 16 million. If you don’t, your colors will be limited. Go to “Colors” – “Increase Color Depth”- “16 million colors (24 bit)” to increase your image’s colors.

Resizing Images

If you’d like to resize an image in JPEG format, you can do so in one of two ways — through your graphics program or within your HTML. You can resize your image within your HTML by changing the HEIGHT and WIDTH values. To retain your images original characteristics, make sure you adjust the height and the width equally. In other words, if your original image dimensions are 50×100 (width 50 and height 100), to reduce your image to one half the size, change the width to 25 and the height to 50.

If you’d like to resize an image in JPEG or GIF format, go to “Image” – “Resize” and select “Percentage of original.” Type in your selection in the first box and click on “OK.” There’s no need to fill in the second box, as it will be filled in automatically. For example. If you would like to reduce your image to half the size it is now, type in 50. This number is telling the program that you’d like to reduce the image’s size by 50%.

If you would like to increase your image’s size, type in a number over 100. Your original image is considered to be 100%. If you would like to increase your image’s size by 50%, type 150 in the first box.

Rotating Images

If you’d like to rotate an image, go to “Image” – “Rotate” and select your preferences.

When rotating an image, it may lose some of its clarity (become blurry). You can correct this problem by sharpening your image. Go to “Effects” – “Sharpen” – “Sharpen”. If after sharpening your image it still appears a little blurry, simply sharpen it again.

Working With Text

If you would like to use text within your image, your first step will be to select your text color. The “Styles” boxes are located on the right hand side of your screen. The top box should be set to Null (off) and the bottom box should be set to Solid, which will look like a paintbrush. To change the style of each box, click on the black arrow and make your selection.

To change the text color, click in the center of the bottom box and select your preferred color. Your text will be displayed in the color within the bottom box.

If you would like to outline your text in a different color, click on the black arrow of the top box and select the paintbrush. Your text will be displayed in the color your bottom box contains and outlined in the color your top box contains.

Text Tool

Once you’ve selected your text color, click on the text tool on the left-hand side of your screen. This will launch your text window. Select your font and text size from the drop down menu and type in your text. Make sure you select Antialias and Floating then click “OK.”

Antialias will smooth out all of the rough edges of your text and blend it in with your background color. You will use the Antialias setting with various graphic tools when designing your graphics, so it is important to remember its function.

You will now see your text with, what looks like, marching ants around it. If you’d like to move your text, click and hold your left mouse button directly over your text to drag it to your desired position. Try to center it as well as possible, but don’t deselect it.

If you would like to rotate your text, now is the time to do it. Simply follow the same instructions (above) used to rotate an image.

If you make a change to your image and you’re not satisfied with the outcome, you can undo your last change by going to “Edit” – “Undo.” It will only undo the last thing you did.

Adding a Drop Shadow

Your next step will be to add a drop shadow effect. With your text still selected, go to “Effects” – “3D Effects” – “Drop Shadow.” Your selected text will be displayed in the window. Try different settings until you achieve the effect you’d like. Click on OK. When you’re satisfied with your text, right click on your mouse to set it.

Now that you have a basic understanding of graphics, take some time to learn some additional techniques. There are many free tutorials available on the Internet. Not only will it assist you in creating professional looking images, but it will also save you a great deal of money.